Optimization of Biodegradable Nanocomposites Based on aPLA/PCL Blends for Food Packaging Applications

Abstract

Biodegradable blends of amorphous poly(lactic acid) (aPLA) and polycaprolactone (PCL) and nanocomposites of these blends were developed by melt blending. A morphological study of the bioblends was carried out by means of WAXS and SEM showing immiscible behavior. The nanocomposites were also characterized morphologically by WAXS, TEM and SEM, revealing high degree of interaction of the nanoclays with the aPLA. Mechanical, thermal and gas barrier properties of the different blends and nanocomposites were studied and the effect of blending and clay addition on the above‐mentioned properties was evaluated.

Physical and mechanical properties of PLA, and their functions in widespread applications — A comprehensive review

“…Table 10): i) use of coating with materials which would add hydrophobicity to the packaging material, ii) lamination of two or more biopolymers (co-extrusion), iii) use of an edible coating with the required barrier properties for the food and subsequently use biopolymers as primary packaging, iv) development of blends of biopolymers with different properties, some examples include PLA/PEG blends, PLA/PHA blends and PLA/PCL blends, v) chemical and/or physical modification of biopolymers, and vi) development of micro-and nanocomposites based on biopolymers [170,312]. Co-extruded laminated films are already widely used in food packaging applications.…”

“…Another typical investigative approach is the use of nanometric additives [315], which have been reported to dramatically change rheological properties of polymer melts and to improve functional properties such as barrier to gases and vapors, mechanical properties and thermal stability, for example, nanocomposites of the aPLA and aPLA/ PCL blends were obtained by melt-mixing with a properly modified kaolinite showed an improvement in these properties with regard to the polymers and blends without clay [312]. It was found that PLA based nanocomposites have exhibited higher rates of PLA biodegradation in compost by the addition of nanoclays, which was attributed to the high relative hydrophilicity of the clays, allowing an easier permeability of water into the polymer matrix and activating the hydrolytic degradation process [316].…”

Foaming of Polylactide in the Presence of Chain Extender

“…A reasonable way to solve the problems associated with the plastics waste, high crude oil prices and a gradual exhaustion of fossil resources seems to be the use of polymers derived from renewable resources. Currently the most popular bio-based polymer is poly (lactic acid) (PLA) synthesized from L-and D-lactic acid [5]. PLA can be also manufactured by the ring-opening polymerization of lactide [6,7].…”

Comparative study of nanocomposites of polyolefin compatibilizers containing kaolinite and montmorillonite organoclays

“…In this work, our efforts are centered on the comparative development of inorganic-organic hybrid nanocomposites with two different commercial clays: a kaolinite-based organoclay and a montmorillonite-based organoclay. Although there are some reported studies about the effect of kaolinite in other polymers such as nylon 6, polyethylene oxide, poly(vinyl pyrrolidone), polyhydroxybutyrate, ethylene-vinyl-alcohol, poly(lactic acid), and polyethylene glycol, [20][21][22][23][24][25] the influence in polyolefinic matrices is still not reported. Kaolinite (Al 2 Si 2 O 5 (OH) 4 ) is a 1 : 1 phyllosilicate containing a gibbsite octahedral layer and a silicon oxide tetrahedral sheet.…”